JP3125920B2 - Handrail - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a novel handrail used as a handrail for escalators and auto line passengers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, escalators and auto lines installed in buildings such as department stores, stations, airports, and the like are provided with handrails called handrails for stably transporting passengers. This handrail is an endless endless belt stretched between drive pulleys.
It is driven continuously and cyclically in synchronization with the movement of the escalator and auto line.

[0003] As shown in FIG.
The cross section is formed in a substantially C-shape, and the opening side is circulated along the guide rail G while being engaged with the top of the guide rail G having a substantially T-shaped cross section, for example. The handrail H has a canvas layer 1 in which a portion contacting the guide rail G is formed by laminating a plurality of cotton fabrics.
And the frictional resistance with the guide rail G is reduced, and the outside is formed from the decorative rubber 2 covered so as to cover the guide rail G, so that the tactile sensation and aesthetic appearance are improved. Further, a tension member 3 composed of a plurality of steel wires 3a is embedded in the decorative rubber 2 along the length direction thereof, thereby preventing the handrail H from being stretched against tension. ing.

[0004]

By the way, most of such handrails H are conventionally used indoors in department stores, stations and the like in many cases, but due to recent diversification of buildings, the handrails H have been used outdoors. The examples used are increasing.

[0005] However, when used outdoors, there are various problems that could not be considered when used indoors, because they are easily affected by rainwater and dust. That is, the conventional handrail H
Is a canvas layer 1 for reducing friction with the guide rail G.
If the fabric is used outdoors as it is, the fabric layer 1 absorbs water such as rainwater, and dust and germs adhere to and propagate on the fabric layer 1 and the surface of the fabric layer 1 (Slip) occurs, and the handrail H is likely to idle. Therefore, if the tension of the handrail H is increased in order to prevent this idling, a large stress is applied to the entire handrail H, and the life is reduced. Further, since the metal steel wire 3a is used as the tension member, the metal member is rusted by the influence of moisture permeating from the surface of the canvas layer 1, and the entire handrail H shrinks to increase running resistance. Further, in the worst case, it is conceivable that the steel wire 3a breaks due to rust or an increase in tension, and the end of the steel wire 3a jumps out of the surface of the canvas layer 1 or the decorative rubber 2 to injure the passenger. .

The present invention has been devised in order to effectively solve such a problem, and the object of the present invention is to sufficiently withstand outdoor use which is easily affected by rainwater and dust. It provides a new handrail.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has laid a synthetic fiber, such as rayon, in a sudare weave instead of the steel wire 3a which causes the above-mentioned inconvenience as the tension member 3. However, in the case of this rayon, the initial elongation is large, so that it is not compatible with the existing handrail H, and further elongation occurs during use. There are many disadvantages such as the necessity of adjustment, and it has been found that practical application is difficult. Therefore, we decided to use aramid fibers with relatively low elongation and weaving them.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the handrail H is concavely curved to the rear side, wrinkles appear on the surface of the decorative rubber 2, and the surface becomes uneven, which greatly impairs the aesthetic appearance. This is because, as shown in FIG. 7, the warp yarns T float upward at the intersections with the weft yarns Y, which not only impairs the appearance but also causes stress to accumulate in the decorative rubber 2 and the handrail H itself. It was found that the life was extremely shortened. For this reason, we tried to manufacture a handrail with only the warp T without the weft Y, but as shown in FIG. 8, the twist of the warp T still frayed, which emerged on the surface of the decorative rubber 2 and showed the appearance. It turned out to be bad. This degree is improved as the number of twists of the warp yarn T is increased or as the thickness of the warp yarn is reduced. Did not reach.

On the other hand, if a thick fabric, for example, a thick fabric exceeding about 1.3 mm is used for the canvas layer in order to prevent the handrail from elongating, the rigidity of the entire canvas layer is increased and the ear Ac of the canvas layer is increased. The phenomenon of tingling may occur. If this phenomenon is extreme, the ear Ac may be deformed by slightly bending the handrail to increase frictional resistance or cause cracks.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned various problems, the present invention firstly superimposes a decorative rubber on the back surface of an endless belt-like canvas layer having a substantially C-shaped cross section, In a handrail having a tension member embedded therein, the canvas layer is formed by laminating a plurality of strip-shaped canvases, and among these canvases, the first canvas located on the exposed side is made of polyester fiber or polyamide fiber. It is formed of a woven fabric, and at least one of the remaining canvases except the first canvas is formed of a woven fabric made of cotton.

That is, the present invention is excellent in low water absorption and antibacterial properties, etc., by replacing the first canvas located on the exposed side (inner surface) of the canvas layer constituting a part of the handrail with conventional cotton. By using a woven fabric made of a polyester fiber or a polyamide fiber, slime due to adhesion and propagation of dust and bacteria can be effectively suppressed. Furthermore, by forming at least one of the other canvases other than the first canvas with a cotton fabric, the cotton canvas absorbs moisture and shrinks to offset the elongation of the handrail, Extension of the handrail can be prevented beforehand.

Further, by using the first canvas cut in a bias direction in the length direction of the canvas layer, the first canvas easily expands and contracts in the length direction and the width direction, and the rigidity of the surface of the canvas layer decreases, Deformation and cracks generated in the ear can be suppressed.

Further, by using, as the tension member, an aramid fiber or a band made of a chemical fiber mainly composed of aramid fiber and having a width of 20 mm to 50 mm, a tensile strength equivalent to that of a steel wire is exerted. Elongation can be suppressed, and adverse effects due to moisture, such as when a steel wire is used, can be prevented.

Further, by using a tension member which has been pre-tensioned before molding to suppress the initial elongation, the elongation of the tension member after molding can be suppressed to a low level.

Further, as the above-mentioned band, a plurality of main warps extending linearly in the length direction thereof, a plurality of wefts crossing the main warp in a lattice shape, and an intersection of the warp and the weft are defined as the main warp. By using the binder warp yarns connected along the warp, even if the handrail itself is concavely curved, the warp yarns do not appear on the surface of the decorative rubber and the aesthetic appearance does not deteriorate.

Further, by using a binder warp yarn having a small diameter of 1/2 or less of the main warp yarn, not only the main warp yarn but also the warp yarn for the binder can be effectively suppressed.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a handrail A according to the present invention, in which 1 is a canvas layer formed in a substantially C-shaped cross section, and 2 is a back portion of the canvas layer 1. Is a tension member embedded in the canvas layer 1.

First, the canvas layer 1 is formed by laminating a plurality of layers of a canvas 1a woven into a belt shape using an interlayer rubber such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber as an adhesive. In No. 1, such a canvas 1a is formed by laminating five layers via an interlayer rubber (not shown).

Further, of the canvas 1a forming the canvas layer 1, the first canvas 1a-1 located on the exposed inner surface side.
Is made of a woven fabric made of chemical fibers having excellent antibacterial properties and low water absorption. That is, by forming the first canvas 1a-1 from such a chemical fiber in place of cotton generally used in the past, even if moisture or dust adheres to the surface, bacteria can propagate on the surface. And the slime generated on the surface of the canvas layer 1 can be effectively suppressed. And, specifically, as shown in Table 1, the chemical fiber has low water absorption, abrasion resistance, dimensional stability, microbial decomposition resistance, and easy availability, as compared with conventional cotton and rayon. A polyester fiber or a polyamide fiber which is excellent in price fluctuation and the like is optimal.

[0020]

[Table 1]

Further, the first canvas 1a-1 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), it is made of a fabric cut in a bias direction in its length direction, and has a structure capable of freely expanding and contracting in its length direction and width direction. Therefore, for example, the rigidity of the exposed surface side of the canvas layer 1 is reduced, and the flexibility is improved.
The hanging of the ear Ac when the handrail is bent disappears,
Deformation and cracking of the ear Ac can be prevented.

Further, another canvas 1 constituting this canvas layer 1
At least one of the layers a is formed of a woven fabric made of cotton, as in the related art. This is based on the fact that cotton has a superior water absorbing property as compared with chemical fibers, and also shrinks by several percent when absorbing water as described later.
Therefore, such a canvas 1a-2 made of cotton is provided as a part of the canvas layer 1, for example, on both sides of the tension member 3 as shown in the figure. Of course, it works to offset the elongation of the handrail, so that the elongation of the handrail can be prevented.

Next, as the decorative rubber 2 to be formed on the back side of the canvas layer 1, a rubber excellent in tactile sensation, stain resistance, repetitive elongation, bending property and coloring property can be used. There is no particular limitation, for example, chloroprene rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber,
Synthetic rubber such as styrene butadiene rubber and ethylene propylene rubber and natural rubber can be used as they are.

Next, the tension member 3 embedded in the canvas layer 1 is made of a band 3b made of aramid fiber having excellent tensile strength or chemical fiber mainly composed of aramid fiber.

As is well known, this aramid fiber has a particularly high tensile strength among chemical fibers, and has a strength of, for example, about 25 to 30 kgf per 1500 deniers. Warp 1
Per book, a tensile strength of 50 to 200 kgf can be obtained. Since the tensile force of the handrail is practically about 1000 kgf, and 2000 kgf is sufficient even if a margin is added, if ten to several tens of such warp yarns are used, there is no problem in tensile strength. There is no. Therefore, by using such a band 3b made of aramid fiber as the tension member 3, it is possible to exhibit the same tensile force as the conventional steel wire 3a and effectively suppress the elongation of the entire handrail A. , Canvas tank 1
Even when water enters the inside, there is almost no adverse effect of moisture as in the case of using the steel wire 3a.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the belt 3b has a plurality of main warp yarns 4a extending linearly in the longitudinal direction thereof and crossing the main warp yarns 4a in a lattice shape. A plurality of weft yarns 4b, and a binder warp yarn 4 connecting an intersection of the warp yarns 4a and the weft yarns 4b along the main warp yarns 4a.
c. Therefore, the main warp 4a exerts a high tensile strength to prevent the elongation of the handrail A, and is arranged linearly, so that even if the handrail A itself is concavely curved, the main warp 4a and the weft 4b There is no possibility that the adhesive is loosened or loosened and floats on the surface of the decorative rubber 2, and there is no inconvenience that the conventional aesthetic appearance is impaired. It is to be noted that the smaller the elongation of the aramid fiber, the better, and it is a matter of course that the aramid fiber is inserted as linearly as possible along its length as shown in the figure.

The width of the band 3b is set so as to be sufficiently hidden in the canvas layer 1, for example, in the range of 20 mm to 50 mm. That is, if the width of the band 3b is too narrow, it becomes difficult to produce a specified tensile force, and the force for maintaining the cross-sectional shape of the handrail is weakened, so that the handrail tends to come off the guide rail. On the other hand, if the width is too large, the rigidity of the rigid handrail A becomes too high, so that it is difficult to bend. In addition, a large amount of expensive aramid fiber is used, which leads to an inconvenience of increasing the cost. . Then, the band 3b is usually woven in a wide width, the surface thereof is subjected to an adhesive treatment, and both sides or one side is coated with a thin rubber, and then cut into an appropriate width in the range of about 20 mm to 50 mm as described above. Will be used.

Further, since the binder warp yarn 4c prevents the main warp yarn 4a and the weft yarn 4b from shifting or fraying, the diameter of the warp yarn is not more than 1/2 of the main warp yarn. This also effectively prevents the warp 4c itself from rising out of the binder. Further, as shown in FIG.
Is woven so that it is wound around the weft 4b,
There is no problem even if it is not necessarily straightened like the main warp yarn 4a. The binder warp yarn 4c and the main warp yarn 4
Although a is inserted so as to extend in the length direction, it is most effective to insert alternately. However, the binder warp thread 4b may be one binder warp thread 4b or the binder warp thread 4b may be coarser, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated case. Further, the warp yarn 4b and the weft yarn 4b for the binder are used.
The material is not particularly limited to aramid fiber only for b,
For example, if inexpensive polyester, polyamide, cotton, etc. are used, cost reduction can be achieved.

The tension member 3 as described above
By applying a pre-tension with a load that is actually applied to the pre-tension member in advance, the initial elongation of the pre-tension member 3 after molding can be effectively suppressed.

[0030]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(Example 1) Fabrics for canvas made of the materials shown in Table 2 were formed, and they were immersed in water for 12 hours and air-dried for 12 hours in 20 cycles (total of 240 cycles).
Time), the shrinkage of these fabrics was measured.
At the same time, a tension member was formed by weaving the main warp made of aramid fiber and the binder warp and weft made of polyester fiber as shown in FIG. 3, and a similar test was performed on this tension member. The shrinkage was measured.

[0032]

[Table 2]

As a result, as shown in Table 2, shrinkage hardly occurred in canvas made of spun polyester yarn, polyester filament yarn, and polyamide filament yarn, but large shrinkage was observed in the case of canvas made of cotton. Was done. On the other hand, in the case of the tension member, shrinkage hardly occurred. As is apparent from the experimental results, the canvas made of cotton shrinks significantly by repeating the absorption and drying of water as compared to the canvas made of chemical fibers.

(Example 2) As shown in Table 3, the first canvas is made of polyester fiber or polyamide fiber, and the second to fifth canvases are made of four kinds of canvas layers made of polyester or cotton. After manufacturing four types of handrails having the configuration shown, a continuous running life test was performed on each of these handrails to measure the amount of expansion and contraction of each handrail. As a test method, first, after measuring the initial length of each handrail, each handrail is bridged over a testing machine composed of a pair of drive pulleys, and a watering operation is performed on the first canvas side for 24 hours → drying The 48-hour operation cycle was repeated for a total of 20 cycles (1440 hours). Thereafter, each of these handrails was removed from the tester, and after 48 hours the length was measured and the length was compared with the initial length.

[0035]

[Table 3]

As a result, as is clear from Table 3, when polyester was used as all the canvas materials forming the canvas layer, the handrail was elongated by 0.09% after the test, but at least one cotton was used. In the handrail of Example 1 using more than one layer, no elongation occurred after the test. In addition, when cotton was used for all canvases except the first canvas, the fabric greatly expanded and contracted, and when polyamide was used for the first canvas, the fabric further expanded and contracted. From this, it can be seen that the use of a canvas made of cotton as a part of the canvas layer not only prevents the entire canvas layer from stretching but also exerts a force to shrink the entire canvas layer.

Example 3 Hand rails were formed using a tension member containing steel wire, a tension member containing rayon drip, and a tension member made of aramid fiber according to the present invention. A tensile load was applied, and the elongation percentage with respect to the load was measured. In addition, this measurement test was performed using two types of tension members according to the present invention, those with additional pretension and those without additional pretension, for each of the four types of handrails.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the case with steel wire showed the smallest elongation, and the case with rayon drip showed the largest elongation. In addition, among the cases where the tension member according to the present invention is used, the case where the pre-tension is added in advance shows a smaller elongation than the case where the pre-tension is not added, and it can be seen that the elongation is as low as that of a steel wire. In addition, in the case of the steel wire, the wire was broken at about 3000 kgf, whereas in the case of the pretension according to the present invention, the wire was broken.
It was found that the steel exhibited extremely high tensile strength capable of withstanding a tensile strength exceeding 000 kgf. In the case of the conventional handrail, the practical load is 2,000 kgf or less. Therefore, below this value, the pretensioned handrail according to the present invention has almost the same performance as the conventional steel wire handrail. You can see that it works.

[0039]

In summary, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects are exhibited.

(1) Since the first canvas located on the exposed side of the canvas layer is formed of a woven fabric made of polyester fiber or polyamide fiber having excellent water absorption, antibacterial properties, abrasion resistance and the like,
The slime caused by propagation of various bacteria is eliminated, and the canvas layer is not scraped even after a long use. At the same time, at least one of the canvases other than the canvas is formed of a woven fabric made of cotton, and this absorbs moisture and shrinks to offset the extension of the handrail, thereby preventing the extension of the handrail. Can be prevented.

(2) Since the first canvas of the canvas layer is further bias-cut, even when a thick canvas is used, the ears do not stick, so that the ears are not deformed or cracked.

(3) Since the tension member is made of a chemical fiber mainly composed of aramid fiber having a high tensile strength, the tension member does not rust and shrinks during use to increase running resistance, or the tension member is not rusted like a steel wire. There is no danger of cutting.

(5) Since pretension is applied to the tension member in advance before molding, the initial elongation of the handrail after molding is eliminated, and a high-quality handrail can be obtained.

(6) Since the aramid fiber is used in a straight state, a handrail with relatively small elongation can be obtained, and the compatibility with the conventional handrail is excellent.

(7) Since the main warp made of aramid fiber is not easily frayed by the weft and the binder warp, the tension member is less likely to have irregularities on the surface of the decorative rubber even if the handrail is bent. It can prevent the aesthetic appearance from deteriorating and the stress of the cosmetic rubber.

(8) Therefore, even when used under severe conditions such as outdoors, it is possible to provide high reliability and safety and at the same time extend the life.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a handrail according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing a first canvas made of a bias-cut fabric.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged side view showing an embodiment of a band forming a tension member according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged side view showing another embodiment of the band forming the tension member according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing one form of a conventional handrail.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing a state where a conventional handrail is curved upward.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a straight aramid fiber woven in a drape is bent.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a state where a straight stranded wire is bent.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing a relationship between a tensile load and an elongation of a handrail using a tension member for each material.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 canvas layer 1a canvas 1a-1 first canvas 1a-2 cotton canvas 2 decorative rubber 3 tension member 3a steel wire 3b band 4a main warp yarn 4b weft yarn 4c warp yarn for binder Ac ear

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tatsuhiko Takahashi 1070 Ma, Hitachinaka-shi, Ibaraki Pref. Inside Mito Plant, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Takeo Takaboshi 1070 Mo, Hitachinaka-shi, Ibaraki Pref. Mito Plant, Hitachi, Ltd. (56) References JP-A-62-196297 (JP, A) JP-A-60-161888 (JP, A JP-A-7-101660 (JP, A) JP-A 63-90679 (JP, U) JP-A 59-18772 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B66B 23/24

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A handrail in which a decorative rubber is superimposed on the back surface of an endless strip-shaped canvas layer having a substantially C-shaped cross section, and a tension member is embedded in the canvas layer or the interior of the decorative rubber. A plurality of strip-shaped canvases are laminated and formed, and among these canvases, the first canvas located on the exposed side is formed by cutting a woven fabric made of polyester fiber or polyamide fiber with a bias in its length direction. At least one of the remaining canvases except the first canvas is formed of a woven fabric made of cotton, and the tension member is made of an aramid fiber or a band having a width of 20 mm to 50 mm made of an aramid fiber-based chemical fiber. A plurality of main warp yarns extending linearly in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a plurality of weft yarns crossing the main warp yarns in a grid pattern. And a binder warp for connecting an intersection of the warp and the weft along the main warp, and pre-tensioning is applied before molding to suppress initial elongation. 2. The binder warp yarn according to claim 1, wherein the binder warp yarn is 1/1 of the main warp yarn.
2. The handrail according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the handrail is 2 or less.